Transcript school
TSI Conference School-Community Relations It’s Their School, Their Kids, and Their Money School-Community Relations • • • • • Gene Sheets, Supt. Muleshoe ISD Region 17 (Lubbock) 1520 students 82% Economic Disadvantaged • 81% Hispanic, 18% White • 15% LEP School-Community Relations WHAT…is it? HOW…do we do it? WHY…do we do it? WHO…does it? School-Community Relations It’s their school, their kids, and their money. School-Community Relations It’s our school, our kids, and our money. Why is it important to have good school-community relations? • Accountability to one’s publics • More choices available to parents • More households do not have children of school age than any other time • Changing demographics of students Who is Responsible? • Principal must get all members of a school community involved. • Principal sets the tone for the school. • Changes are easier with principal who is in touch with community • Management by Walking Around (Peters & Waterman, 2004) Metropolitan Life Survey 2003 Metropolitan Life Survey on the American Teacher 2003: An Examination of School Leadership Principal Teachers Parents Students Relationships Principal/Teacher relationship is open, collaborative Principal encourages students to achieve Principal respects people in the school 84% 59% 78% 50% 35% 36% Sec principals satisfied with relationship with students Principals satisfied with relationship with parents 97% 93% 64% Environment School is welcoming to parents Principal has excellent visibility in school School is safe 89% 67% 89% 38% 67% 61% 42% 57% Communication Principal is a good listener School has open communication 53% 91% 30% 58% 27% 58% 34% 34% 60% 46% Metropolitan Life Survey 2003 Disconnect between principal…school…community X What is School-Community Relations? • Building public support and confidence in the school • Establishing trust between the school and the community • Preventing misunderstandings • Humanizing the school Communications with Whom? Internal Publics Why Communicate with Internal Publics? 1. Most believable sources of information 2. Interpreters of the school’s policy 3. Internal publics can make or break you 4. External communication plan cannot exist without internal plan Who is the Most Believable Employee? Who is the Most Believable Employee? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Custodian Bus driver Cafeteria workers Secretaries Teachers Principal Why Communicate with Students? • Students are the most influential messengers of a school’s internal publics. • Students WILL communicate their feelings about the school to others in the community. • Students can be a conduit for good news to listening ears. EXTERNAL PUBLICS Why Communicate with External Publics? • Opinions about a school come from members of the internal publics. • Parental involvement is an indicator of an effective school. • Key communicators keep members of the external publics informed • Non-parents need to be informed How do we Involve Parents and Community? How do we Involve the Media • • • • Important channel for communication in the community. Share information, clear up misunderstandings, clarify situations They will come to your school You can’t fight a barrel of ink. CONCLUSION Open, Honest, Two-way Communication Learning is the shared responsibility of all school employees, students, home, media, and community It’s Our School, Our Kids, and Our Money Gene Sheets, Ed.D. 806-272-7400 [email protected]